


At Peace

by Zenece



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-16
Updated: 2013-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-20 09:11:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/885518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenece/pseuds/Zenece
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The death of an important crewmember changes a few things in the life of Kathryn Janeway...</p>
            </blockquote>





	At Peace

“Captain’s log, stardate 53608.4.   
It’s been three hours since the Vorenna have left us here for dead. They showed up two days ago and immediately started firing at us for no apparent reason. Voyager took heavy beating and is in bad shape. I guess the same can be said about some of its crew…   
End log.”  
Kathryn Janeway sat at her desk and absentmindedly rubbed one of the bumps on her head. She sighed deeply. 

Her doorchime sounded.  
“Come in.”  
The door opened and got stuck halfway. Kathryn rolled her eyes.   
B’Elanna frowned as she entered and scanned the door with her tricorder.   
“The mechanism is jammed. I can fix it if you want.”  
Kathryn shook her head.   
“I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do than fixing this. Is that a status report you have there with you?” 

B’Elanna nodded.   
“Warp drive is still offline Captain. I’ve assessed the damage and it will take at least a day before all the systems are repaired and the core can be reactivated again. We have impulse, but at this point only a quarter maximum. And I fixed the thrusters.  
We’re basically sitting ducks. We have no shields and weapons are offline, except for a small section of the aft phaserbanks.   
If those bastards decide to come back, there will be very little we can do to prevent them from blowing this ship to pieces.” 

Kathryn closed her eyes briefly.  
“All right. Get Harry and Seven to work on repairing the shields. That’s our primary concern.”  
“They’re already on it, Captain. And Tuvok has been trying to get weapons back online. My engineering crew is working on the warp core as we speak and the rest of the ship’s damage is being handled by repair teams.” 

Kathryn stood. She tried not to wince when a hot flaring pain surged through her back, but failed miserably. She must have bruised a rib or two when she had hit the deck. B’Elanna quickly rounded the desk to support her Captain.   
She knew that most people with minor injuries had not reported to sickbay. The Doctor and Tom already had their hands full with the heavy casualties.

Kathryn stretched a little and patted B’Elanna lightly on the shoulder.  
“Thank you Lieutenant, I’m okay now. I’ll report to Sickbay as soon as things clear up down there.”  
B’Elanna bit her lip. “Any word on Chakotay yet?”   
“None.” Kathryn shook her head. He had been on deck six when a plasma conduit had exploded. Aside from third degree plasma burns, large pieces of debris had punctured his body. The Doctor had been operating on him ever since.

Kathryn and B’Elanna exited the Ready Room and stared at the battered Bridge. Tuvok was the only one present.   
“Captain, I have managed to repair all the phaserbanks. However, we are still not able to launch torpedoes.”  
Kathryn nodded gravely. “Good. Do we have shields back already?”  
“Negative Captain.”

“Keep me posted. I’ll be in Sickbay to see how Chakotay is doing.”   
As she stepped up the upper level of the Bridge she doubled over in pain again. B’Elanna rushed to her side once more and supported her on the way to Sickbay. 

The Doctor turned as he heard the Sickbay doors open.   
“Captain, I was just about to call you.”   
Next to Chakotay there was only one other patient: an ensign with a nasty looking head wound. Tom was tending to him.  
Kathryn, aided by B’Elanna, went to stand beside Chakotay’s biobed and placed her hand on his bare shoulder. Then she turned to face the Doctor, a movement that made her wince again. 

“Could you check her back Doctor?” B’Elanna inquired.  
The Doctor picked up a medical tricorder and started to brief them on Chakotay’s condition.  
“I have done everything I could, but his injuries were severe. A piece of debris punctured his liver and lung. The serious plasma burns only added to the strain on his body. His condition is critical, and to tell you the truth, I’m not very optimistic…”  
He paused to treat the Captain’s back. She didn’t even notice it. Her eyes, overflowing with emotion, stared at the pale face of her second in command. 

“What are his chances?” Her voice was low and her posture rigid.   
The Doctor exhaled. “Rather low, I’m afraid. We’ve already had to bring him back once. He’s stable at this moment, but there’s no telling if he’ll stay that way. His condition can change in a heartbeat.”

As if to prove his point, the monitoring equipment let out shrill warning signs and the Doctor and Tom hurried to Chakotay’s bedside. Kathryn and B’Elanna stood back.  
“He’s going into neurogenic shock! Administer a dose of Atropisol!”  
Tom handled the hypospray and checked the readings on the monitor. “No effect. He’s going into cardiac arrest.” 

The beeping tones changed, indicating critical conditions and eventually let out the horrible sound of flatline. The Doctor kept on shouting commands and tried to resuscitate Chakotay’s body, but it remained impassive. Eventually he seized his activities and shut off the monitoring equipment. Nothing but an eerie silence remained.   
“I’m sorry, Captain.”

Kathryn closed her eyes and felt B’Elanna put a hand on her shoulder. Her first reaction was to brush it off, but B’Elanna’s muffled snuffle struck a chord inside and made her reconsider. She wanted to cry as well, but found herself unable to do so.   
The comforting hand was suddenly retracted and its absence left a black gaping hole in Kathryn soul. B’Elanna slowly went to stand beside Chakotay’s lifeless body, bent down and kissed him gently on the forehead. When she turned to Kathryn, her face was wet with tears.

When Kathryn approached the body of her best friend, the tears still refused to come. She stood there for what seemed like hours, just looking at his still form, mentally willing him to wake up again.  
After a while, she had no idea how much time had passed, she felt someone gently directing her away from the biobed and towards the door. She kept looking over her shoulder until the doors swished shut and blocked her view.   
Then she just closed her eyes and let B’Elanna guide her to her quarters.

 

~ ~ ~

 

B’Elanna was unsure what to do. She had lots of work in Engineering, wanted to be busy so that she wouldn’t have to think about her friend’s death too much, but she didn’t want to leave the Captain alone in her current state. She hadn’t opened her eyes since they had left Sickbay. Now she was sitting on the couch in her quarters, eyes still closed and a blank expression on her face.   
The chirp of a combadge broke the silence. “Tuvok to the Captain.”

Kathryn’s hand flew to her chest and tapped her own combadge attached to her vest. “Janeway here.” Her voice was surprisingly steady, her eyes still closed.   
“Shields are back online Captain. And repair teams have reported that most of the minor damage is fixed. How is Commander Chakotay doing?”  
A look of intense hurt flashed over Kathryn’s face before she responded with a trembling voice. “His injuries were too severe. He… didn’t make it.” She swallowed convulsively.

After a beat, Tuvok responded. “I’m extremely sorry Captain. Would you like me to inform the crew?”  
Kathryn’s ‘Yes please’ came out as a mere whisper.   
Then the comlink closed and silence roared in B’Elanna’s ears again. She took a deep breath. “Captain? I’ll be in Engineering if you need me…” 

There came no response and B’Elanna took it as a sign to leave. But as the doors swished open she heard a strangled ‘no’ from her Captain. She turned around.  
Kathryn sat ramrod straight and stared at B’Elanna. “Stay… Please…”  
Although her demeanor didn’t show it, her inner turmoil was evident in her now open eyes.

B’Elanna took a step closer. “Okay, I will.”  
She tapped her combadge. “Torres to Engineering.”  
“Nicoletti here.” Came the reply.  
“I have something else to do for now. I’m sure you can handle things down there?”   
Susan’s clipped voice answered. “Yes Ma’am.”   
“If there are problems, contact Seven of Nine or Ensign Kim.” She looked at the Captain. “I don’t want to be disturbed.”   
“Acknowledged. Oh and Lieutenant? I’m… We’re sorry about Chakotay.”   
Apparently Tuvok had already relayed the news to the rest of the crew. B’Elanna swallowed. “Me too, Susan, me too… Torres out.”

During the conversation Kathryn’s rigid shoulders had slumped. She looked so small and lost that B’Elanna felt the overwhelming instinct to protect her. She sat down and took the woman in her arms. Kathryn resisted at first, but B’Elanna persisted and eventually the Captain gave in. 

B’Elanna leaned back against the couch pulling Kathryn with her. She whished the Captain would let her guard down and openly show the pain of losing one of her best friends. Hell, maybe even her lover. B’Elanna didn’t know if they had ever crossed that line. According to the grapevine on the lower decks, there had been a torrid love affair between the command duo. Personally, B’Elanna didn’t think it was true. She also felt that it was none of her business. But whatever the exact nature of their relationship, they had been close. It was obvious that Chakotay’s death caused Kathryn Janeway immense pain and sorrow.

B’Elanna softly stroked Kathryn’s hair and made soothing noises, unknowingly creating precisely that kind of safe and loving environment Kathryn needed to give way to her grief. It started with mild snuffles but soon her whole body was wrecking with sobs. She clung to B’Elanna burying her face in the woman’s soft neck. 

They stayed like that, crying and drawing comfort from each other for a while.   
Eventually Kathryn’s sobbing subsided and her breathing slowed down. When B’Elanna checked, she found her Captain sound asleep against her chest. Careful not to wake her, B’Elanna sat up and contemplated whether or not she should let the woman sleep on the uncomfortable couch. She decided to bring her to bed. 

Kathryn moaned and mumbled something when B’Elanna pulled her on her feet. Half supporting her weight, the young woman directed her Captain to the bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. She took off Kathryn’s boots and uniform jacket and tucked her under the covers.   
After brushing away a stray tear from her face, B’Elanna kissed Kathryn’s forehead and silently left her quarters, heading for her own.

There she splashed some water in her face and put on a fresh uniform jacket since hers was rumpled and tearstained.   
She decided to head for Engineering. They could use her expertise and it was not like she had other things to do. Sleep would not come tonight anyway…

 

~ ~ ~

 

Kathryn woke up and briefly wondered why she was still in uniform. She remembered soon enough and closed her eyes, hoping it would all go away, which of course it didn’t. She sighed and got up. This was going to be a long day.

The atmosphere on the Bridge was subdued when she arrived. She took the time to look each of the present crewmembers in the eye and saw her own grief mirrored there.   
As she sat down, it suddenly hit her that the seat next to her would never again accommodate the big, softhearted man who had become her best friend over the years. “I miss you already.” She whispered to the empty chair. 

After a moment, she cleared her throat and turned to Tuvok. “Status report.”  
“We’re on a course to the Alpha Quadrant at full impulse. Lieutenant Torres estimates the warp core will be online in two hours. All secondary systems are fully operational again and structural repairs have been completed.” 

Kathryn nodded and stood. “Notify me when we have warp drive back. I’ll be in my Ready Room. You have the Bridge.”   
She spent the rest of the morning trying to come up with the words for the eulogy at Chakotay’s funeral later that day. 

 

~ ~ ~

 

B’Elanna felt like a walking zombie. She hadn’t slept in more than two days and the emotional turmoil of the death and funeral of her former friend had contributed to her wrecked physical and emotional state.   
After the funeral she had gone straight to her quarters.  
She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was streaked with tearstains and her eyes were red and puffy. She took a quick sonic shower, fell on her bed and sank away in blissful unconsciousness. 

After the funeral, Kathryn had wandered aimlessly trough the empty corridors for hours. Her usually ordered thoughts were now a jumble of memories, regrets and wishes.   
When she passed B’Elanna’s quarters she stopped and pressed the door chime. There was no answer. The Computer however assured her she was inside.   
The idea of having to go to her own quarters didn’t seem appealing at all. She wanted to experience the comforting and reassuring feeling from the night before again. Not the sense of loss and distress she was sure was waiting for her in the corners of her quarters to haunt her even in her dreams.

After making sure she was alone, she overrode the lock of B’Elanna’s quarters and entered. She couldn’t make out her surroundings so she softly ordered minimal illumination.   
In the dim light she found her way to the bedroom, where B’Elanna was fast asleep. Without giving it much conscious thought, she undressed and climbed in the bed next to the sleeping woman. B’Elanna stirred and wrapped her arms around the soft body at her side. Feeling safe, Kathryn fell asleep within seconds.

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

B’Elanna slowly woke up and scooted closer against the warm body in her arms, savoring the feeling of slumber.   
A thought flashed through her sleep-fogged brain. There wasn’t supposed to be a warm body in her arms when she woke up. What the hell?  
She pried her eyes open and blinked furiously as she identified the person next to her. Apparently she was spooning with the Captain.  
B’Elanna frowned and carefully untangled herself from Kathryn’s sleeping form. She got up and exited the bedroom in search of a replicated breakfast. Surely the Captain would explain when she woke up. 

By the time Kathryn awakened, B’Elanna had already eaten and was recycling her dishes.   
Kathryn lay back and listened to the sounds of the woman whose privacy she had invaded. Suddenly her actions of last night seemed more than a little silly. Yet she was grateful she hadn’t had to sleep alone. Even though she had slept alone for six years now. This didn’t make sense.   
She got out of bed, put on her uniform pants and walked out of the bedroom. 

“Good morning B’Elanna.”  
B’Elanna turned around. “Good morning Captain, can I get you anything for breakfast?”  
“Ah… Coffee, blend n°4 please. Black.”  
Kathryn sat down as B’Elanna ordered the drink from the replicator.   
“Sorry about this. I guess I didn’t want to be alone last night…” Kathryn blushed.  
B’Elanna handed her the coffee and put her hand on Kathryn’s arm. “Don’t worry about it. I understand this is hard on you. You two were very close.”

Kathryn stared in her coffee cup. “You were close to him too, and you slept in your own bed…” She raised an eyebrow.  
B’Elanna squeezed her arm reassuringly. “I told you not to worry about that. Everyone is entitled to act a little out of character after the loss of a loved one.”  
Kathryn wasn’t convinced. “If you say so. What did you do?”   
“I worked on the warp core all night last night until I was cross eyed.”   
Jokingly Kathryn countered: “But that’s not exactly out of character, or even unusual for you.”   
B’Elanna clenched her teeth. “Yeah well, I promised Chakotay I wouldn’t run dangerous programs on the Holodeck with the safeties off anymore.”  
With that, she got up and headed for the bathroom to get dressed, leaving a flabbergasted Kathryn in her wake.

B’Elanna splashed cold water in her face and felt a hand being pressed against her back. She looked in the mirror to see the Captain stand behind her.  
Kathryn’s voice was soft. “I’m sorry, I was out of line in there.”   
B’Elanna let out a shaky breath. “Don’t worry about it, I wouldn’t do that again. I just wish it didn’t hurt so much. He was like a big brother to me. The only person on this ship who actually understood me.” 

Kathryn wrapped her arms around B’Elanna’s midsection and pressed against her back. They looked at each other in the mirror.   
“I know the feeling…” Kathryn murmured.   
“You mean he was like a big brother to you too?” B’Elanna quipped in an attempt to lighten the mood a little.  
It worked as Kathryn chuckled. “No silly. I was referring to the other things you said.”  
B’Elanna just smiled. 

“He was deeply in love with you, you know…” She uttered out of the blue.   
Kathryn closed her eyes and nodded. “I know.”   
They stood silent for a few minutes until Kathryn surprised B’Elanna with her next words. “I feel so guilty about it.”  
B’Elanna turned around to look at her Captain. “About what?”   
With her eyes cast down, Kathryn quietly explained. “About the fact that he loved me and I couldn’t return his feelings. I cared deeply for him, but I didn’t love him the way he loved me. Even though he deserved it.” 

B’Elanna took Kathryn’s head in her hands and looked intensely in her eyes.   
“That’s not your fault! I’m sure he understood. The important thing is that you were his friend, and a good one at that. Love can’t be forced. Even Chakotay knew that.”  
She had a point; Kathryn had to admit that. “Thank you B’Elanna. You seem to have a knack of knowing what to say to make me feel better. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be sitting on my couch with my eyes closed, refusing to believe that this is all real.”   
B’Elanna cocked her head. “Well, technically, you’d be standing outside Sickbay doors with your eyes closed. But… you’re welcome. Now maybe you could help me by overlooking the fact that I’m already half an hour late for my duty shift?”   
Kathryn chuckled. “Deal.”

 

~ ~ ~

 

That evening, Kathryn was gazing at the stars trough the window in her quarters. She wanted to say goodnight to Chakotay whose body was floating in that vast expanse of space out there and whose soul was hopefully looking down on her and her crew.   
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that big empty chair next to mine on the Bridge, Chakotay. And it will definitely be strange to see Tuvok occupy it in the future. We all miss you so much.   
I hope that, wherever you are, you found the peace you searched for your whole life… the peace that I couldn’t give you. Not really, although I wish I could have.” 

Tears welled up in her eyes and she angrily brushed them away. If only B’Elanna were here to hold her, to make it all right…  
She checked the time. It wasn’t too late to call her yet, was it? Unless she was busy of course. She inquired the Computer for B’Elanna’s whereabouts.   
“Lieutenant Torres is in Engineering.” Came the neutral reply.   
Kathryn frowned. It was well past her duty shift. Looked like she was going to take a stroll past Engineering this evening. She grabbed her uniform jacket and exited her quarters. 

 

~ ~ ~

 

“Isn’t it way past your duty shift?”  
B’Elanna jumped up and bumped her head against a console. “Damn it! Oh, Captain! Sorry. Uh, I guess it is. Lost track of time. What can I do for you?”   
Suddenly Kathryn felt silly for being in Engineering at this hour, only to see B’Elanna. What was with her lately?   
“I, uh, I was just taking a walk…” She stammered and blushed uncharacteristically. She hoped B’Elanna wouldn’t notice.

B’Elanna noticed all right, but decided not to comment on it.  
The console on her left beeped to signal the end of a diagnostic she had been conducting. Everything was in order and she turned to the Captain.  
“I’m finished here for tonight I suppose. I’m going to catch some sleep, unless there’s something else you need?”

The question hung in the air and B’Elanna silently wondered if she had misread her Captain’s need for company. The thought was accompanied by a twinge of disappointment in the pit of her stomach.   
Kathryn stayed silent and B’Elanna sullenly left Engineering after bidding her goodnight. 

Kathryn still stood frozen on the same spot.  
Unless there’s something else you need?   
That question was repeated in her mind over and over again. And her apostate mind had even come up with an answer. She had almost spoken the words but caught herself just in time.   
Unless there’s something else you need? There is. I need you.   
What was wrong with her?

 

~ ~ ~

 

Kathryn stood in front of her window for the second time that evening. But she didn’t see the stars this time. In fact, she didn’t see much of anything since she had her eyes closed.   
It felt like she was losing her mind. How could she, a strong and independent woman, feel such an intense need for B’Elanna? Why was it suddenly so important what B’Elanna felt, what she thought, what she did? What was it about the woman that gave her this deep sense of belonging? Because that’s what it was. In the presence of the half Klingon woman she felt at peace. 

With that last thought her eyes flew open.   
Peace. Wasn’t that the point of… well, everything? Wasn’t that one of those holy grails of life? Chakotay had been looking for it, even claimed he’d found it, that she’d brought peace in his life.   
She suddenly felt wobbly and slowly sat down on the deck. Could B’Elanna be her ‘peace’? The peace in the war between Captain Janeway and Kathryn Janeway? 

Before she could even begin to contemplate that thought, her door chime sounded. Deep in thought, she slowly got up and walked over to the door. She punched in her code on the panel and the door opened revealing B’Elanna’s already retreating back. Kathryn’s heart jumped in her throat.   
“B’Elanna…” she breathed. 

The young woman turned with wide eyes, like a deer caught in headlights.   
“I’m sorry, Captain, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I should… I was just… sorry.”   
Kathryn looked at her as if she saw her for the first time. Then cast a wide grin at B’Elanna.  
Questioningly, B’Elanna cocked her head. “Captain?”   
Kathryn responded by grabbing the other woman’s arm and pulling her inside.

B’Elanna was sitting on the Captain’s couch, desperately trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why she was here. She hadn’t meant to actually press the door chime, hadn’t meant to come here…   
Ah, whom was she kidding? She had been lying in her bed, trying to sleep, but failing miserably because her thoughts kept returning to the Captain. She’d been hoping that the older woman would show up again, like she had the previous night, but no such luck.   
Finally, after much tossing and turning, she’d gotten up again and had found herself pressing the Captain’s door chime. 

Kathryn smiled at her visitor. “Been having trouble sleeping?”   
B’Elanna yawned and nodded. “Something like that.”   
“Would you like a glass of wine? I know I have a good bottle here somewhere… You’ll sleep like a baby after that. I know I usually do.”   
B’Elanna accepted and while Kathryn went in search for the bottle, she leaned back and closed her eyes for a minute.

When Kathryn returned with the wine and two glasses she found B’Elanna asleep on her couch. She studied the woman’s features, now softer and more vulnerable. Mesmerized by the sight, a warm sensation spread in her body and she felt the pressing need to touch the sleeping beauty.  
She put down the bottle and glasses on the side table and kneeled on the sofa, next to B’Elanna. Slowly she extended her hand, and with one finger, ever so slightly, stroked a smooth cheekbone. 

B’Elanna didn’t move so Kathryn grew bolder and cupped B’Elanna’s chin while lovingly tracing full lips with her thumb.   
This time however, B’Elanna stirred and started to mumble something. A finger was pressed against her mouth.  
“Sshh…” Kathryn shushed, and moved to straddle B’Elanna’s lap. 

B’Elanna vaguely wondered whether or not she was dreaming when Kathryn’s fingers started to trace the ridges on her forehead. Moments later, those same ridges were kissed by soft, warm lips and B’Elanna closed her eyes and sighed happily. This was definitely an interesting dream…   
The feathery kisses traveled all over her face, on her cheeks, her eyelids, the tip of her nose and her chin. And then they stopped. 

When B’Elanna opened her eyes, she saw Kathryn’s face scant inches from her own. Her eyes were a color blue she had never seen before, her breath came a little faster than normal and her lips were slightly parted.   
She brought up her hand to touch the vision before her and breathed, “Tell me you’re real…”   
With a husky voice, Kathryn replied. “Oh I’m real…”   
She closed the distance between them and softly pressed her lips against B’Elanna’s in a chaste kiss. 

A hot, wet tongue leisurely traced Kathryn’s lips and she shuddered in anticipation of a deeper kiss. Her mouth opened to its own volition and she heard B’Elanna moan in appreciation. The sound reverberated on her lips.   
She eagerly let B’Elanna explore her mouth and did the some reconnaissance of her own, moments later. 

As they parted, B’Elanna sensually licked her lips and moaned again. “Mmm, I could get used to that…”   
Kathryn grinned. “That can be arranged you know.”   
She leaned closer and teased B’Elanna with a brief kiss and a flicker of her tongue.   
Groaning, B’Elanna muttered, “You’re in deep trouble for that.” And she attacked Kathryn’s neck with tiny butterfly kisses until the woman was moaning too. 

Kathryn’s breath came in short gasps and she felt herself responding to B’Elanna’s expert touch. Deciding she needed to cool down, she leaned back a little and stared at the flushed half-Klingon face before her. B’Elanna looked at her with big brown eyes that were overflowing with desire. The intensity sent flares of heath trough Kathryn’s whole body. She let out a shuddering sigh and placed her head on B’Elanna’s shoulder. 

B’Elanna was still trying to identify the myriad of emotions coursing trough her. She hugged Kathryn close and tenderly stroked and kissed the auburn hair.   
Kathryn let out a sigh of contentment.   
“Will you stay here with me, tonight? Only to sleep, I mean.”   
She felt B’Elanna smile in her hair. “Of course I will. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”  
Kathryn rose, extended a hand to the younger woman and slowly led her to the bedroom. 

As Kathryn disappeared to the bathroom, B’Elanna quickly dressed down to her undershirt and panties and crawled under the covers. She watched as Kathryn entered the bedroom again, this time dressed in a peach colored nighty.   
She crawled in bed next to B’Elanna and nestled in her waiting arms. They snuggled into a comfortable position and sighed happily.   
Soon they were both fast asleep.

 

~ ~ ~

 

B’Elanna woke up in the middle of the night because she felt hot and thirsty.   
As quietly as possible she got out of bed and headed for the replicator, where she ordered a glass of ice-cold water.   
She recalled the events of the evening before and found herself unable to stop grinning. Her desire for the Captain, Kathryn she mentally corrected herself, obviously had been subconscious until last night. But that kiss sure had brought it all to the surface. 

A rustling sound came from the bedroom.   
“B’Elanna?” Kathryn’s voice sounded thick from sleep.  
B’Elanna gulped down the water and hurried back to the bedroom.   
“Sshh, I’m here. Go back to sleep Kathryn.”   
She crawled next to the woman and kissed her gently on the forehead.   
Kathryn sighed happily and drifted back into unconsciousness. 

B’Elanna was almost asleep when Kathryn unexpectedly shifted. Unknowingly, she placed her hand on B’Elanna’s firm breast and softly squeezed it, evoking an involuntary hiss from the Klingon. Of course now the younger woman was wide-awake again and suddenly very aware of Kathryn’s body intimately pressed against her own. She felt soft breathing on her neck, breasts against her side and a pelvis pressed against her hipbone. 

B’Elanna took a deep breath to quench the fire in her body, but it had little effect.  
She moaned as Kathryn snuggled even closer. This was torture. Damn her Klingon libido. ‘Only to sleep’ had been Kathryn’s exact words and she was going to try her very best to adhere to them.   
And she would have succeeded if Kathryn hadn’t chosen that exact same moment to move again and place her thigh between B’Elanna’s. A loud Klingon growl reverberated off the walls.

The sound woke Kathryn with a jolt.  
She noticed their intimately intertwined bodies and questioningly looked down at B’Elanna who was staring at her with a raw look of desire. Kathryn blinked.  
B’Elanna’s voice was low as she apologized. “I’m sorry Captain, but maybe you’d better move your hand and thigh before… I am half Klingon, as you have undoubtedly noticed. Sorry.” 

As soon as Kathryn had put some space between them B’Elanna sat up, turned her back to the other woman and put her feet on the floor.   
Kathryn got out of bed, walked around it, crouched at B’Elanna’s feet and put her hand on the Klingon’s knee to offer comfort. 

“Kathryn…” B’Elanna moaned. “Can you please not touch me for a moment? And also put on a robe or something? Because even though I really admire the view on your cleavage, it’s not really helping at the moment…” She took a few deep breaths.  
Kathryn retracted her hand and stood. “You mean that I have this… effect… on you?”   
B’Elanna closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes you do. I’m sorry, I know you’re tired, but give me a minute and I’ll get it under control. It just feels a little intense right now.” 

Kathryn’s mind was mulling over the fact that she evoked this response in B’Elanna. She felt a familiar twinge in the lower part of her belly. No matter what B’Elanna thought, she sure as hell was not tired right now… In one fluent move she pulled her nighty over her head.   
B’Elanna heard the rustle of fabric and assumed it was Kathryn putting on her robe. When she looked up, she was more than surprised to find the woman standing before her wearing nothing but panties. She growled again. 

B’Elanna knelt on the floor, put her hands on Kathryn’s hips and pressed her face against her soft belly, while pulling down the panties. She picked up Kathryn’s scent immediately and it made her blood boil in her veins.   
Kathryn cupped B’Elanna’s face with her hands and guided it upwards.   
The Klingon got up to stand face-to-face and both women stared deeply into each other’s eyes. 

B’Elanna pulled Kathryn closer against her own body and kissed the tip of her nose. Kathryn let out a shuddering breath.  
Softy B’Elanna mumbled, “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you…”   
Kathryn trustingly gazed into dark brown eyes. “I know.”  
And then lips met in a hungry kiss.

The emotions running through her were so strong, Kathryn’s knees threatened to give out. She put her arms around B’Elanna’s neck to prevent herself from falling to the deck but the half Klingon swirled her around and gently laid her down on the bed.   
B’Elanna stepped out of her panties, straddled Kathryn’s body and took of her own tank top. As soon as her breasts were revealed, Kathryn appreciatively cupped them and flicked her thumbs over the already hardening nipples. This elicited a moan from B’Elanna who threw her head back and pushed her breasts forward. 

When Kathryn attempted to sit up, B’Elanna pushed her back down again and pinned her hands to the mattress above her head. She leaned forward and felt their breasts touch. She placed little kisses on Kathryn’s lips and made a trail from there to her left breast.   
Just before she reached the coral tip, she stopped and looked up. Kathryn’s face and upper chest were flushed and her hair was more than a little disheveled already.   
B’Elanna grinned devilishly and tenderly bit the nipple in front of her. Kathryn moaned incomprehensibly. 

After having both breasts lavished with feathery kisses and one or two love-bites, Kathryn rolled both of them over so she was on top. She sat up and pressed her pelvis hard against B’Elanna’s, a movement that made both of them hiss in pleasure. Two hands grabbed her hips and guided her in a grinding motion. The generated friction heightened their arousal but it wasn’t nearly enough for B’Elanna, who growled softly in frustration. 

Kathryn bent forward and lifted her hips a little so that her hand had access to B’Elanna’s wet mound. As her fingers traced slippery folds, she moved to straddle B’Elanna’s right thigh and buried her face in her lover’s neck.   
As Kathryn’s fingers entered her, B’Elanna purred and spread her legs a little wider to give her lover better access. Kathryn let her thumb flick over B’Elanna’s hard little nub and was marveled by the response she got. 

Involuntarily Kathryn grinded against B’Elanna’s thigh, trying to pleasure herself. B’Elanna placed her hands on her lover’s buttocks and helped her keep a steady pace. Nimble fingers slid in and out her in the same rhythm, and B’Elanna felt the tension growing inside her. At this rate, she wouldn’t last long. All conscious thought left her brain as Kathryn rubbed her swollen clit and the Klingon equivalent of a G-spot at the same time. Lights exploded behind her eyes and she roared loudly as her body spasmed. 

The sight, sound and sensation of B’Elanna’s climax had left Kathryn in complete awe. She’d watched the changing expressions on her lover’s face in delight and continued to lightly stimulate B’Elanna until she could take no more. She retracted her hand and tasted B’Elanna off her fingers. Then she lightly kissed her on the lips as her lover came down from her high. 

B’Elanna let out a shuddering breath as she became aware of her surroundings again. She responded to Kathryn’s kisses and felt the woman start to move on her thigh again as their kissing intensified. She raised her knee to give her lover better access to her thigh and Kathryn moaned loudly in appreciation. She was breathing heavily.  
B’Elanna whispered in her ear. “Do you like that baby?”   
Kathryn whimpered softly and slightly nodded her head. 

Placing Kathryn’s arms around her neck, B’Elanna moved and put the two of them in a sitting position. Her hands were on Kathryn’s hips, helping her to maintain her rhythm.   
As Kathryn threw her head back, B’Elanna tenderly nuzzled the exposed flesh of her throat and made her moan in delight.   
The older woman was whimpering and panting heavily now and B’Elanna could sense that she was close. She put her cheek against Kathryn’s and whispered, “Not yet baby… Not yet…” 

Kathryn wailed and buried her face in B’Elanna’s neck, trying to slow down but unable to do so. She whimpered loudly as she flirted with the edge of orgasm. And then she couldn’t hold it any longer and with B’Elanna’s name on her lips, she let herself being swept away on the waves of endless pleasure while she bucked wildly against her lover. 

Afterwards, she was vaguely aware of B’Elanna laying her back down on the bed and rearranging the covers around them. With her lover spooned against her back and in the afterglow of one of the best orgasms of her life, Kathryn truly felt complete. She was at peace…


End file.
